Well, it's like this. In 2002 we got an HP desktop. By 2004 it had crashed. I had an HP digital camera for over a year, and it crashed. I went with a Toshiba laptop, and it's backlight is burnt out. We are currently surviving on a Dell with one HP printer, and Dell scanner/fax/printer. The current HP printer is close to bottom of the line and has worked better, longer for me than any other HP stuff I've had. Kodak for cameras, Dell for desktops, and HP for printers.

I do not recommend you go with HP. Their quality has gone downhill within the last 5 years. They also ruined Compaq. I would not recommend Dell, Gateway or Toshiba either. If you can provide more info on what you're looking for in a computer I may be able to help you out (price, power, portablity (if laptop) etc.)

AVG is a freeware virus program. I used it on an old laptop I had where I didn't want to pay for Norton but didn't want to use the internet without protection. It's pretty good actually.

Actually, I can't believe you brought this up, because I'm such a nerd and you hit the good points....

Originally Posted by SuckLead

Anyone have a recent make HP computer? What are your thoughts on them?

Actually, HP has advanced lately, and has taken Compaq from the dumps in my opinion. The Compaq computers that I had in the past were garbage compared to the newer HP/Compaq (or HP...which is what they are now...) computers.

Honestly, I really wish you were looking for laptop, because that's truly my specialty.

Actually, this is where I lit up in response to your post. AVG is by far (in my opinion) one of the best anti-virus programs on the market today. On top of that, it's a free program. In every new computer that my friends, family and myself have purchased, I have deleted the Norton garbage and installed AVG on every single unit. This is by far my favorite anti-virus program as of yet...

Originally Posted by Ram Rod

Well, it's like this. In 2002 we got an HP desktop. By 2004 it had crashed. I had an HP digital camera for over a year, and it crashed. I went with a Toshiba laptop, and it's backlight is burnt out. We are currently surviving on a Dell with one HP printer, and Dell scanner/fax/printer. The current HP printer is close to bottom of the line and has worked better, longer for me than any other HP stuff I've had. Kodak for cameras, Dell for desktops, and HP for printers.

I'm sorry to be the one to say it, but these experiences are way too far in the past to have any relevance today. Computer years are like dog years...

I'm sorry you had bad experiences, but you might want to experiment with some equipment that was made from these companies more recently....

Originally Posted by Marcus99

I do not recommend you go with HP. Their quality has gone downhill within the last 5 years. They also ruined Compaq.

Marcus99...please expalin why, and what experiences you have had that makes you believe this is true...

Originally Posted by Marcus99

I would not recommend Dell, Gateway or Toshiba either.

Again....why?

Originally Posted by Marcus99

If you can provide more info on what you're looking for in a computer I may be able to help you out (price, power, portablity (if laptop) etc.)

AVG is a freeware virus program. I used it on an old laptop I had where I didn't want to pay for Norton but didn't want to use the internet without protection. It's pretty good actually.

I agree that AVG is good. Would you personally prefer Norton over AVG for any reason? If so, why?

We were originally going to buy another Dell because the last one lived way longer than we expected it to and way past the average life span of computers. Before that we had a Compaq that was just a giant box of garbage.

I don't need much. I search the internet, obviously. I would like to store some of the photography I have on my digital camera on the computer. I occassionally make a YouTube video but am not known for ever editing them. Once in a blue moon I'll download an MP3. So memory is good. I have a seperate CD burner, so that isn't needed. My father seems to have developed an obsession with the ability to fax. So I'll toss that in there, too. And, of course, I need to be able to set up seperate accounts on Windows so I can save stuff and not worry about my father deleting important stuff of mine. About it, really.

About three months ago, our older desktop computer died a hardware-related death. Our backup computer was our son's, and he took it with him when he left the nest earlier this year. So, I convinced my wife we needed not one, but TWO computers to replace our dead one (if you have one of something, and it malfunctions or is lost, you have none; if you have two, and one dies/disappears, you still have one).

I did a bit of research, and when Best Buy ran their next good "Free Financing for X Months" sale, I trotted down and picked up a HP desktop machine package, and a Compaq laptop (both priced in the lower-middle-range).

Both were simple to set up and learn to use, even with Windows Vista, and have given absolutely no problems in daily use since the purchase (granted, 3 months is not all that long ago). Both machines have memory card readers built-in, so we can transfer photos and other files to and from various devices without cables. The laptop's battery life is lower than I'd like, but I think most estimates of battery juice duration are wildly optimistic, no matter what brand you go with (in the middle-and-lower price range, at least). Last month, I used the Best Buy Reward Zone points garnered in the purchase to print Reward Certificates (coupons) used to pick up a new copy of Photoshop Elements, a laptop carry case, and a travel mouse.

Right now I would say that HP and Compaq are about the 2 best out the box PC's. They have a bunch of trial ware that needs removed but the hardware and drivers are much more sound than about every other out of the box PC. I repair and build computers for a living. Those two are a dream next to dell and gateway.

I finnd DEll way too proprietary and I just plain don't liek Gateway. Dells are harder to upgrade being you need parts that were made just for a dell to get them to work properly most times. I will say that if you change the drivers in a dell to ones that the company made for the dell drivers they come with they will run a lot better.

My opinions of Compaq was not always so good. They used to be crap but HP buying them out a few years ago made things a lot better for them.

Yes, I like HP. I am on my 2nd HP PC, and I am happy with it. My mom just bought her 2nd one.

Back in the days, I would only buy mail order PCs and would never buy at a store. But Micron and Quantex and a few others are gone. I do not like Dell or Gateway after some headaches from both in the 1990s.

Well as someone who works on PCs and networks professionally I can honestly tell you there is little to no difference anymore in the quality of any PC or laptop.

They are all good, and they can all have duds. I work on a lot of Dell and HP but that is because those are the most popular by far.......

I would say pick the one that has the goodies you want because if anything breaks it can be fixed easy enough.....

Personally I love HP, I have been buying them for years......I'm on my HP dv5000 laptop right now, and have been using it every day since I bought it in March 2006......

I currently own 4 laptops - 2 HP and 2 Dell.... I also have 3 Desktops two of which are HP the other is Systemax. All have performed well.....

The only brand I've ever seen have multiple chronic failures was E-Machine. When they first hit the market they were absolute crap. But they were also taken over and are now producing decent enough machines.

I run 3 Dell desktops and two Dell laptops on my wireless network. Two of the Dell desktops are over 7 years old. My kids use them to play on the net. I have child protection software as well as McAfee security system with a spy sweeper. I've never had a problem or a crash.

We were originally going to buy another Dell because the last one lived way longer than we expected it to and way past the average life span of computers. Before that we had a Compaq that was just a giant box of garbage.

I don't need much. I search the internet, obviously. I would like to store some of the photography I have on my digital camera on the computer. I occassionally make a YouTube video but am not known for ever editing them. Once in a blue moon I'll download an MP3. So memory is good. I have a seperate CD burner, so that isn't needed. My father seems to have developed an obsession with the ability to fax. So I'll toss that in there, too. And, of course, I need to be able to set up seperate accounts on Windows so I can save stuff and not worry about my father deleting important stuff of mine. About it, really.

That's pretty basic stuff. In that case I'll take HP and Toshiba off the shit list. I myself wouldn't buy from them because what they market as "high end", I find to be somewhat overpriced and lacking. I am fussy about computers the same way as many of you are fussy about firearms

I still however, would not go with Dell or Gateway. Dell in particular for a long time made machines that used parts that were difficult to upgrade from. There customer support was never very good IMO, always someone from Pakistan where it felt like you were helping them instead of the other way around.

As for what you are looking to do, thats pretty basic like I said. Nearly any computer can do that these days. RAM is cheap and easy to upgrade, so even if what you find to be enough today and turns out to be not enough tomorrow, you'll still be about to boost your memory easily. Doesn't sound like HD space is going to be an issue, even basic desktops give you fairly large drives these days (250gb's), video card and sound doesn't seem like an issue for you either. The processor is really the only other thing to keep an eye on, they are somewhat more difficult and expensive to upgrade as ports are changing all the time, so make sure you get one that will be good for a few years.

You can pretty much go with any company, but I would steer clear of Dell and Gateway, I've always been suspicious of them from past experience.

It's all kind of a crapshoot, unfortunately. This year's great brand is a dud next year. I currently own (counting...) six notebooks and five desktops of varying vintage. The first computer I bought with my own money was a Compaq portable in 1983, and I've probably "owned" (some were really owned by my employers) a dozen more notebooks over the years. Some things I've learned:

1. You can't use past experience with a brand name to predict future success. The absolute most reliable notebooks I've had were a Dell, an IBM, and a Toshiba. The best desktops I've owned were an Everex, a Dell, and a Toshiba. The worst computer I've owned or used was a Dell and an IBM.

4. Vista is a great operating system if you run it in its 64-bit mode, otherwise use XP Pro. (I don't relate to open source O/S's.) If I were starting to source a computer right now I'd get one built to run Vista in 64-bit mode.

5. Good desktops seem to run forever, but a two-year-old notebook is a senior citizen.

As to "High End" boxes unless you're having it built for you it is probably just a somewhat juiced regular PC and is a waste of money. The boxes on the shelves today are about all built to run Windows Vista. That in itself will tel you that it needs to be a pretty strong machine. Vista is a major resource hog and needs a pretty beefy box to run pretty well in. I have a few machines here that were built for Vista that I rebooted with a modified XP install adn they just flat out fly. I'm not gonna say Vista sucks. It was not so compatible and I think it didn't address any of the issues with XP so really don't see a need to have it but it works OK and as companies are making more and more software to run in Vista it's getting easier to use all the time. I use XP Pro just because that's what I'm used to.

I'm playing around with a few Linux distros. as well. I still think before it's all said and done they have some really nice operating systems.

As to "High End" boxes unless you're having it built for you it is probably just a somewhat juiced regular PC and is a waste of money. The boxes on the shelves today are about all built to run Windows Vista. That in itself will tel you that it needs to be a pretty strong machine. Vista is a major resource hog and needs a pretty beefy box to run pretty well in. I have a few machines here that were built for Vista that I rebooted with a modified XP install adn they just flat out fly. I'm not gonna say Vista sucks. It was not so compatible and I think it didn't address any of the issues with XP so really don't see a need to have it but it works OK and as companies are making more and more software to run in Vista it's getting easier to use all the time. I use XP Pro just because that's what I'm used to.

I'm playing around with a few Linux distros. as well. I still think before it's all said and done they have some really nice operating systems.

I would say Vista sucks....lol.... Microsoft knows it too since they are now pushing out Windows 7 beta way before it's release date. I saw a quick version of Windows 7, built off a totally new kernel and it is supposed to be lean and mean.....

XP is still the best one ever made, but Vista is OK once you strip it down and run it lean. It is not as bad as ME was.....

Check out Fedora Core 5 and up for a nice Linux OS..... very smooth graphically and just about as capable as Windows while keeping that Linux touch...... I love Linux but will always still use Windows too....

That's the problem. We don't have much to spend. Mom's been out of work and they are both paying off medical bills for serious surgeries. I am not even putting anything into the pot because I have about $300 in savings and a low paying job. My dad has picked out an HP computer already. I have no idea which one. They walked in looking for a Dell and he walked out in love with the HP. HP is one of those brands I don't know much about. Mom wants to head in and grab up the one he likes tomorrow, actually. I just wanted to go in knowing something since she will, no doubt, throw me to the sales guy (I'm a sales person, too, so I am a sales person's worst nightmare; I just about made the car salesman cry when we went to get mom's last car a few years ago). And I know when my dad went in and talked to him he didn't take any of my needs into consideration... and dad uses the computer for far less than I do.